Multiple-floor garage



1 July 22, 1930. s. E. TEST 1,771,069

MULTIPLE FLOOR GARAGE Filed Aug. 11, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet l l l I l I l l l INVENTOR. $1045: .6 721577 A TTORNEYS.

July 22, 1930. s. E. TEST 1,771,069 MULTIPLE FLOOR GARAGE Filed Aug. 11, 1928 3-ShBOtS-ShOOt 2 w: INVENTOR. $K/LES E. T5577 ATTORNEYS.

Patented July 22, 1930 UNITED STATES POBATION, A CORPORATION OF INDIANA MULTIPLE-FLOOR GARAGE This invention relates to a garage construction suitable for the storage of automobiles.

The chief object of the invention is to construct a garage suitable for the storage of automobiles which will have included therein a minimum amount of floor space reserved for traffic purposes and as corollary a maximum amount of floor space available for vehicle storage. g

Another object of the invention is to provide for the storage of vehicles with a minimum amount of warpage therein while stored consistent with the accomplishment of the foregoing object.

Anotherobject of the invention is to con struct a garage of the aforesaid character which will require a minimum amount of fioor and ceiling supporting columns and these so positioned as to ofler a minimum amount of obstruction to the storage or travel of the vehicles within the building.

One feature of the invention in addition to the features provided for the accomplishment of the foregoing objects consists in having the inner radius of a, spiral driveway of substantially the least amount necessary to progressively and continuously turn a Vehicle, and to incorporate within such a spiral driveway storage spaces of quadrant form and merge the same into a tangential portion of the driveway.

A further feature of the invention which accomplishes the chief object of the invention, to wit, the maximum vehicle storage floor space and minimum dead space, consists in the discovery that a single width driveway is possible to accommodate reverse traffic fiow'thereby eliminatin as dead space such additional space as mig t ordinarily be employed by a second driveway in garages where the reverse traffic is provided with two or more traffic lanes.

Another feature of the invention consists in having the floor portion of the'garage continu-ously merge with the adjacentfloor portions and each floor. portion being inclined to the horizontal corresponding to the pitch of the spiral, and the elements of each floor extending inwardly and substantially hor1-' zontally toward the spiral, said 1116111166:

View through a garage construction including a basement, a main floor and: a, plurality of superposed floors. Fig. 2 is a. plan view of the main floor layout. Fig. 3 is: a'vertical sectional view taken at right angles to-Fig. 1.]

Fig. 4 isv a perspective view illustrating on a slightly larger scale the spiral driveway and inner quadrant vehicle storage areas.

In the drawings 10 indicates a, central column which may or may not extend: to the roofll and substantially quadrant positioned columns 12 define the inner diameter of. the spiral driveway 13, which herein is shown banked. Theouter ed e. of the driveway or diameter thereof is de ned by four columns. 14 and the remaining storage. area is} provided, withaparallel series of columns-15. where. necessary and preferably in spaced, relation tothe; side walls 16. The front and rear walls- 17 and 18 respectively include the columns. 19 and 20 respectively which supportthe combination floor and ceiling indicated at 21 and 225 respectively. Fig. 3 in full lines and Fig. 2 in dotted lines indicates a basement storage area under thesidewalk 23.

The storage area except for the central well therefor is an approximation ofa continuous spiral. Each floor is inclined and extends inwardly from an adjacent wall so that the tangent to the spiral which. ispa-rallel to the. wall lies in the floor andthe normal therefrom to the wall lies in substantially a horizontal plane. The; upper portion of one floor merges with the lower adjacent floor and forms a continuation thereof and: the merging occurs substantially along a projected or extended diametrical diagonal- The portions in the corners defined by two adjacent inclined-floors and the spiral driveway gradually mergethe three different surfaces into each other.

The resulting constructiontis that eachpor- PATENT OFFICE sKILEs E. 'rns'r, or INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, Assreuvon T0 MOTOR mu m con tion of the floor, except for relatively small areas, is substantially horizontal in one direc tion except that of the extreme corners. This horizontal arrangement permits parking with the longitudinal axis of the vehicles extending substantially parallel to the horizontal arrangements of the floor. Thus the vehicles can be parked with or without braking and with but little warpage this occurring at the corners) or little tilting, that is, laterally by reason of the pitching of the inclined floor.

The main floor plan is shown in Fig. 2 and this shows a rear entrance 3O closed by doors 31 and a front entrance 32 closed by doors 33, said entrance being of the two-way drive type and adjacent the entrance but included in the building where the runway platforms 34, which permit the vehicle occupants to alight from, and enter the vehicles. Two pathways are herewith provided, one for incoming and one for outgoing vehicles. Suitable offices and other compartments are indicated at 35 and'36 for the management and the comfort of the patrons.

The driveway 13 is of substantially single car width, that is of a width suflicient to permit a relatively long wheel base vehicle to make a full turn in travelling from floor to floor.

To permit of the employment of the minimum number of columns as before mentioned and to utilize all of the available space not required for traffic for storage space, the central well is formed as storage area. To obtain the maximum storage possible with a minimum of interference with vehicle travel on the driveway, the well storage area includes a plurality of segments herein four and therefore quadrants, each segment or quadrant being successively offset from the next adjacent one by the rise in the driveway. Each quadrant storage area includes a horizontal portion which has an elevation coincident with the lowest portion of the driveway forming the arc defining the quadrant and herein each quadrant is indicated by the numeral 40 and each successive quadrant is offset by a wall 41 and each elevated portion of the driveway is merged into the horizon tal portion of the horizontal quadrant by a short ramp 42. If the quadrants were to have an elevation substantially that of the intermediate portion of thedriveway defining the arc of the segment and the floor of said quadrant storage area was horizontal, then an oppositely directed ramp at the opposite corner would be provided which would be proportional to the reduction in the height of the ramp 42. The wall 41 serves as a tying-in wall between the central column and the inner series of columns. It also serves as a stop since it is arranged to extend a short distance above the level of the highest quadrant level.

The wall 41 could be extended from floor to ceiling but in order to permit air free circulation through the building, and also to permit the drivers in the vehicles to see around the turn, the space between the central and first outer series of columns is left open except for the low walls 41. The side, front and rear walls may be vertical or may be offset inwardly forming a semi-roof as at 50 or 51.

The present floor plan arrangement permits vehicles to be parked with their longitudinal axis normal to the exterior walls and to be double parked in tandem relation. If desired the invention may be extended by leveling the floors beyond the horiZontalincluded for arrangement by merging the horizontal floor at the upper and lower ends by downwardly and upwardly directed ramps if the midportion of the horizontal floor is level with the midportion of the inclined floor adjacent thereto.

T he invention claimed is:

1. A multiple floor garage including a plurality of angularly arranged outer walls of appreciable length extending from floor to floor, floors along each of said side walls and extending inwardly and each having normals to said walls substantially horizontal, successive normals being arranged in progressively inclined relation across the wall, inclined floors of two adjacent walls merging with each other, the several floors forming a substantially continuous storage spiral with horizontal normals, and a substantially circular inner spiral driveway, each floor merging therewith and including a tangent to the driveway and parallel to the walls, the pitch of said floors being substantially that of the driveway, said driveway being inclined for banking and being of a single car width reverse flow type and having an inner diameter approximately just suflicient to permit free continuous turning travel of a standard vehicle thereon and of the longest wheel base, and'of an outer diameter not greater than that necessary to permit said free continuous turning travel by a standard vehicle of the longest wheel base when just clearing the inner diameter in such free travel.

2. A garage of the character defined by claim 1 characterized by the addition of a plurality of columns arranged in polygonal outline and substantially defining a circumscribed circle constituting the projection of the inner spiral edge of the driveway, a segmental fioor communicating with the driveway between each pair of adjacent columns and within the driveway and merging therewith for vehicle storage space and extending inwardly therefrom, all elements thereof lying in a common plane, the successive segmental floors being successively offset in level from each other, and short ramp means merging each segmental floor with the adjacent driveway.

' scribed circle constituting the projection of 3. A garage of the character defined by claim 1 characterized by the addition of a plurality of columns arranged in polygonal outline and substantially defining a circunithe inner spiral edge of the driveway, and a segmental floor communicating with the driveway between each pair of adj acent columns and within the driveway and merging therewith for vehicle storage space and extending inwardly, the successive segmental floors being successively offset in level from each other, and an axial column extending from floor to floor and connecting all of said segments together.

4. A garage of the character defined by claim 1 characterized by the addition of a plurality of columns arranged in'polygonal outline and substantially defining a circumscribed circle constituting the projection of the inner spiral edge of the driveway, and a segmental floor communicating with the driveway between each pair of adjacent columns and within the driveway and merging therewith for vehicle storage space and ex tending inwardly, the successive segmental floors being successively oifset in level from each other, and a similar number of columns arranged in polygonal relation and in circumscribed relation to the circular projection of the'outer spiral edge of the driveway.

5. A device as defined by claim 1 characterized by the addition of a plurality of columns in spaced relation to an adjacent wall and arranged for vehicle parking therebe tween and normal to said wall.

6. A garage of the character defined by claim 1 characterized by the addition of a plurality of columns arranged in polygonal outline and a column coaxial with the axis of V the driveway segmental floors extending outthereof lying in a common plane, these successive segmental floors being successively oflset in level from each other, said driveway being of a width not materially greater than that necessary to accommodate a standard vehicle of substantially the longest wheel base for free travel thereon, and ramp means merging each segmental floor with the adjacent driveway.

8. A garage of the character defined-by claim 1 characterized by the addition ofa plurality of columns substantially defining a circumscribed circle constituting the pro jection of the inner spiral edge of the driveway, a segmental floor communicating with the driveway between each pair of adjacent columns andwithin the driveway and merging therewith for vehicle storage space and extending inwardly therefrom, all elements thereof lying in a common plane, these successive segmental floors being successively offset in level from each other, said driveway being ofawidth not materially greater than that necessary to accommodate a standard vehicle of substantially the longest Wheel base and standard width for free travel thereon, and ramp means merging each segmental floor with t e adjacent driveway, eachsegmental floor being tangent to the driveway substantially midway between the including columns, each segmental floor extending substantiallyto the driveway axis.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto affixed my signature.

SKILES E. TEST.

wardly from the axial column and successively oflset from each other and arranged in successively elevated relation, each segmental floor merging with the driveway for vehicle storage space and extending inwardly therefrom, all elements of said segmental floor lying in .a common plane, each segmental floor being tangent to the driveway substantially mid-way between adjacent non-axial columns, the latter being included within the outline of the driveway, and short ramp means at each end of the segmental floor adj acent a column for merging each floor with the adjacent driveway.

7. A garage of the character defined by claim 1 characterized by the addition of a plurality of columns substantially defining a circumscribed circle constituting the projection of the inner spiral edge of the driveway,

a segmentalfloor communicating with the driveway between each pair of adjacent colunms and within the driveway and merging therewith for vehicle storage space and extending inwardly therefrom, all elements 

